The “Rios en Clase” project is moving ahead rather slowly. Not fast enough anyway. The impasse is threefold, but the deadlocks are to be overcome. Time to show our cards.

For quite some time we have not been able to reach our contact person within the Universität Koblenz-Landau, Germany. Although we were aware of his state of health, we never expected that his condition would prevent him from working on the further elaboration of the project’s curriculum. In this respect, however, we have alternative institutes which had also offered and committed to assist us on this, and with which we shall proceed.

In order to get additional resources for the implementation and realization in selected project areas, we applied for grants. Unfortunately our requests for funding were denied. Although the organizations we addressed all claim to consider education of paramount importance, the requests they honored in the past mainly concerned local, stand-alone, therewith utterly scattered hands-on conservation initiatives, wherever. Perhaps the bigger picture, the one CTCF aims at, is too big? Meanwhile new applications have been and will be filed.

Finally, obtaining permissions for the main feature of the educational program (i.e. electroshock fishing), from the authorities concerned, is under discussion in many a country. For instance, in the province of León, Spain, this, as is any “unintentional” use of the trout seems difficult to reconcile with the legislation in force.

Last week we discussed these hick-ups in depth, in Spain, with –among others- representatives from AEMS Rios con Vida, co-developer of the educational program and our partnering organization in Spain. The outcome was clear: it would be a shame to not persevere in what we have started, and have realized so far. Also: we should get more people involved at a this crucial stage, and create a think-tank to help us tackle such issues. Of course we shall call upon our steady network, yet everyone is welcome to come up with suggestions! Please?